Little Red Riding Hood and a Critique of 'Project Thinking' among NGOs

Abstract

Based on fieldwork covering sixteen elderly care NGOs in Saint Petersburg (Russia), the article discusses one major aspect in the professionalisation of the third sector, namely, 'project thinking'. A 'project' is a specific form of organising any activity, limited in time and following a strict set of managerial principles and rules. Thus, any NGO, which organises its own work in the form of a project, has to follow very specific requirements to secure financial, material and informational support from donors. 'Project thinking' means a gradual shift among organisations from fulfilling mission-based ethical goals towards self-sustenance and a focus on the formalistic fulfillment of technical and administrative procedures. The key indicative case examined is that of the Little Red Riding Hood volunteer movement, which targets inhabitants of remote rural nursing homes. This permits a discussion of the practical and theoretical implications of formalisation, bureaucratisation and managerialism when organising social care in the form of a project. Also considered is the case of a grocery shop opened in a nursing home equipped with its own bakery. The article discusses project thinking culture and the organisational transformations it entails for the third sector. Specifically, evidence is provided for the objectification of elderly care receivers in terms of neglecting their interests and accessing decision-making over the content and process of care. What is found is that organisational and project goals prevail, leading to the measurement of performance by formal criteria, such as delivery speed, the number of mentions in mass media and the quality of reports. The article also provides evidence of conflict between caregivers and care organisers in terms of understanding 'good care' and the logic of care provision.